In last week’s post, Stuff I’m Thinking About, I pondered what Boyfriend’s cat could possibly want to buy with all the change he’s been stealing off the nightstand. A few days later I figured it out…

Apparently Ash and Merlin have also fallen victim to the avocado craze, like the rest of us. This could potentially be a problem. Merlin and I are going to have to sit down and have a serious chat about his spending habits. He’s never going to be able to afford a bigger litter box if he keeps buying avocados.

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED… The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point.WHO WILL CRUMBLE? Kell – once assumed to be the last surviving Antari – begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?WHO WILL RISE? Lila Bard, once a commonplace – but never common – thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry.WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL? And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

I had a very hard time going to work these past 2 days, and anywhere else where I wasn’t allowed to read. This book was glued to my hand from the day I started it. I stayed up late and woke up early, all so I could squeeze in as many pages as possible. It’s that good.

I loved the first two books in the series, but the third book elevated it to a whole new level. The characters, the plot, the unexpected twists, and the intricate level of detail in this book are absolutely stunning.

Every single character in this book has a unique, strong personality. It’s so interesting to see them all work together during such tumultuous times, especially considering the initial distrust among them. The character development from the first book to the last is fantastic. Watching the way Lila and Kell both grow, not just in their personal relationship, but in their abilities, as well, makes it difficult not to love them. The friendship between Alucard and Lila was a fun one, the love between Alucard and Rhy beautiful. Osaron makes a horrifying villain. His actions are pure evil and it’s hard to predict his next move, given that he doesn’t have a body of his own…There isn’t a single character in this series that wasn’t well written.

There are moments that make you laugh, moments that make you cry, and enough action to keep your heart racing. This book was the perfect conclusion to a perfect story. This series has officially made it to my “favorites” list. I can’t wait to read more of Schwab’s books to see what she has up her sleeves.

I acquired some new books this weekend! I didn’t plan on buying any, you know how it is when you’re a bibliophile with zero self-control. *shrugs* Check out what I got:

The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of airships and steam engines, of unusual animals and mysterious machines.

Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants.

Senlin is determined to find Marya, but to do so he’ll have to navigate madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters. He must survive betrayal, assassination, and the long guns of a flying fortress. But if he hopes to find his wife, he will have to do more than just endure.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

How I used to collect rocks and minerals as a kid. (I had a rock tumbler and everything.) Now, as an adult, I no longer collect stones, but grow them inside my kidney instead, which is way more bad ass.

Boyfriend’s cat was trying to rob him earlier today. He attempted to take all the change that was on the nightstand. What was he going to buy with that money?

For those who are unfamiliar, FIF is a weekly meme created by J.W. Martin. The goal is to talk about a book you recently started reading. Share you impressions, predict what you think will happen, say whether you think you’ll enjoy it, etc.

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED…
The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point.WHO WILL CRUMBLE?
Kell – once assumed to be the last surviving Antari – begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?WHO WILL RISE?
Lila Bard, once a commonplace – but never common – thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry.WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?
And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

This book picks up right where the second one left off, which is good because it was a major cliffhanger. Right from the bat you’re thrown into some fast-paced action. I’m glad that Schwab did this and didn’t start out slowly rehashing the details of the previous books. We’re way past that now, I need to know what happens!

I’m really not sure what’s going to happen in this one. Given what’s happening at the beginning of the story it’s obvious that there’s going to be a lot of fighting and good vs. evil scenarios playing out. Holland is still a wild card for me. I’m not sure what to make of his character, but I’m eager to see what happens to him. (I’m predicting that he takes a turn for the good? Maybe?) I also predict that we’ll see some more impressive things from Lila as she channels her own powers. (Maybe White London will finally get a real king and it’s magic back, without all the corruption?)

I’m hoping we see a different side of Rhy. I’m not going to lie, his character gets on my nerves a little bit and I feel like he’s just dragging everyone else down.

I feel like this book is going to be amazing, yet unpredictable. I really can’t even guess how it’s going to end, but I’m sure it will be really dramatic.

I was tagged to do the Reader Confessions Tag by Life Should Be Lit (tell me you don’t love the name of that blog!). I’m kinda nervous about answering these questions though. I don’t know if I’m ready to confess all my bookish misdemeanors on the internet for all to see!

*sweats profusely* Okay, I’m ready to take the stand…

1) Have you ever damaged a book? I’ve ripped pages out of old books and cut them up for crafts projects before. I swear, they were books that were already falling apart or were already in the donation pile. OMG STOP JUDGING ME.

2) Have you ever damaged a borrowed book? No. At least, not that I recall, anyway.

3) How long does it take you to read a book? Usually a few days to a week, depending on the length and how busy I am. For some reason my boss gets mad when I try to read while I’m working, so I have to reserve reading time for when I’m home. Some people just don’t get it. *eyeroll*

4) Books that you haven’t finished? There have been several over the years. I don’t see the reason to force yourself through something that you get absolutely no enjoyment out of. Unless you’re being graded on it or something. The most recent book I abandoned was Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Spoiler alert: They probably are.)

6) Is there a book you wouldn’t tell anyone you were reading?How to Commit Murder and Get Away With It, Bank Heists: 101, and Why Does My Vag Smell Like Cheese?

Fine, I made those up. None of those are real books. If they were I probably wouldn’t tell anyone I was reading them though.

7) How many books do you own? I haven’t counted in a while. Probably 400 or so, if my guess is correct. (Will count later and report back.) Those are just the ones that I’ve kept over the years.

8) Are you a fast or a slow reader? I’m in the middle, I think. I have no idea, but I don’t like admitting that I’m below average at things and calling myself “fast” makes me sound like a ho.

9) Do you like to buddy read? No. (What is buddy reading? Is that like reading the same book at the same time as someone else? Reading with someone next to you? Do my pets count as reading buddies? If so then I change my answer.)

10) If you were only allowed to own one book, what would it be and why? Why do I only get one book? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE REST OF MY BOOKS? *hyperventilates*

If I had to pick just one I’d probably pick The Graveyard Book. I was going to say Harry Potter, but how do you pick just one book in a series like that?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Books I Disliked But Am Glad I Read.” (Check out her site to see the full list of upcoming topics so you can participate, too!)